Somewhere out there this evening a police officer will think of @PoliceCommander in his last month of policing

This was not how it was ment to be, John Sutherland announced he was being given medical retirement from the Metropolitan Police Service.

The last day that Commander John Sutherland will serve queen and country will be Wednesday 28th February 2018, what will be a very emotional day for the thin blue line will be a gain for John Sutherland’s next chapter.

He has done a remarkable job and touched our lives personally with each and every tweet and his grounded, honest and frank views on life and policing.

Somewhere out there this evening, a soon-to-retire police officer will be feeling ever so slightly lost for words…Thank you all for being so lovely.

Police Commander is a truly inspirational and truly remarkable policing leader who has shaped and defined policing leadership and offering support for front-line policing he’s words melt in your mouth like butter they just freely flow from the page and no one else can say it like John Sutherland.

What is policing loss is a gain to the world, his words are perfect in every situation reassuring and supportive while being very open and frank about his own feelings and frame of mind which honestly makes us welcome John Sutherland into our hearts that little bit more.

Joining the police in 1992

John Sutherland joined the Met in September 1992 admittedly as a clueless 22-year old embarking on what he describes as the adventure of a lifetime. having fallen hopelessly in love with the job and the men and women who do it.

John intended like many others within his generation to fully see out each and every day of his 30 years, maybe even longer.

John admitted that “I even had a half-baked idea that I might try to make it to Chief Constable one day.” but “Then life happened”

Being open and honest in April 2013 at the age of 43 “I broke. I was off work for more than 7 months – a once capable man reduced entirely to rubble. Almost five years later, I’m a whole lot better than I was, but I realise that I’ve done myself some permanent damage along the way.

“I’m no longer strong enough to deal with the exhaustion and the strain. I can no longer manage the inevitable stress. And I appear to be completely unable to cope with the trauma of any kind – certainly not the kind of trauma encountered endlessly on the policing frontline.”

John goes on to say “That’s the painful privilege of this job – to venture repeatedly into the hurting places; to be there when lives are saved; to be there when they hang in the balance; to be there in the scattered mess of blood and bandages; to be there when lives are lost; to be there when news is broken; to be there when the shattered faces of loved ones crumple in grief. To be there on the inside of the fluttering blue and white tape.”

“Not now though. I’m no longer able to stand in those places. And I’m in awe of those who are. Time and again, I find myself stirred by the breathtaking courage and compassion of my colleagues. They have always been – and they remain – the everyday heroes and heroines who police our streets. I will miss them more than I can say.”

I will miss it all.

Throughout his career John does believe it has had it’s sliver linings having found the “extraordinary love of my wife; the unexpected hours and days spent with our three beautiful girls; the faithfulness of friends and the kindness of strangers; time and space to think and breathe and to learn how to rest in a world that is moving far too fast; the discovery of writing and of the healing to be found in telling stories; the opportunity to stand up and speak up for the things that have to matter more; the discovery of a thing called grace.”

“Life might, of necessity be slower these days – but it is also somehow deeper, richer and kinder.”

“Whatever happens now, I will always love this extraordinary job. I will always love the extraordinary people who do it. I will always celebrate their humanity and heroism. And I will always feel the pride of the finest kind.”

Sajid Javid speech was received with warmth as he promised to prioritise police spending as he offered an olive branch to rank-and-file officers.

Mr Javid was welcomed to the Police Fed conference and received support from the front line cops following Amber Rudds poor reception last year over budget cuts and staffing reductions.

This was a testing first speech the Home Secretary who wanted to try and draw a line under the era of running battles between the Government and the police.

Following mounting pressures faced by officers faced with policing cuts.

As of September there were 121,929 officers across the 43 territorial forces in England and Wales – a fall of nearly 20,000 compared with a decade earlier.

A pleasure to speak to @PFEW_HQ about how I will approach policing, and hear concerns from the frontline with crime. I will give you the tools, powers and back-up you need to do the job #polfed18pic.twitter.com/xS85Rtotaf

Referring to stop and search, he told the Police Federation of England and Wales’ (PFEW) annual conference in Birmingham: “Some of you don’t feel comfortable using it – and that’s not how it should be.

“I have confidence in your professional judgment. So let me be clear – I support the use of stop and search.

“You have to do your job and that means protecting everyone.”

He said evidence shows that black people are more likely to be a homicide victim than any other ethnic group.

“If stop and search can mean saving lives from the communities most affected, then of course that has to be right,” Mr Javid said.

Following a spate of violence across London and the UK there has been a sharp reduction in stop and search activity , with use of the powers at the lowest level.

Cops faced heavy criticism after they were accused of unfairly focusing on black and minority ethnic individuals.

Theresa May introduced measures in 2014 to ensure stop and search could not be used in this way.

Mr Javid acknowledged that police officers have an increased demand saying “I’m not arrogant enough to turn up here after three weeks in the job and tell you how to do yours,”

Mr Javid added that the government have had to make difficult decisions since 2010 and that he does not have a magic wand to fund everything needed but he said he was “listening and i do get it”.

“We need to think more about the long-term funding of policing.

“I will priorities police funding in the Spending Review next year.”

He said that, including funds raised through council tax, more than £1 billion extra cash is being invested in policing now than three years ago.

Addressing the fact that he had not spent much time in the role, he said that while the position of Home Secretary was his fifth in Government, he had seen the issues involved in policing and worked with the service during his other roles.

He continued that it was “not all about funding” and the Government needed to do more to “protect the protectors”, such as tougher penalties for those who attack emergency services workers, changing the laws on police pursuits, and updating their kit.

Mr Javid pledged to provide “tools, the powers and the back-up that you need to get the job done…

“For those of you who stand on the front line, be in no doubt that I will be standing with you.”

Is @sajidjavid the first guy in the @ukhomeoffice that truly knows and understands policing? His brother is a cop. There is blue blood in the family.